Guardian Angel
by Forever the Optimist
Summary: Many agree that Eponine's devotion to Marius seems almost too strong-otherworldly, in fact. Well, suppose her love was not simply out of romance? What if she had another duty-to guard and preserve his life as his guardian angel?
1. Prolouge

"Wake up."

She blinked groggily, surprised at the amount of effort it took.

"Can you hear me?"

She nodded stiffly.

"Good. Now open your eyes."

She opened her eyes and found herself in a dark alley. The body of a preteen girl lay in the dirt nearby. Her master floated nearby. She looked down at herself. She now looked exactly like the girl at her feet. She began to move and flex her new body, trying to get accustomed to her new shape.

"Good, go ahead and try it out. You must be able to perfectly mimic a human by morning. Now as a refresher...what is your name?" her master asked quietly.

"Eponine," she responded instantly, marveling at the feeling of sound going through her lips.

"Correct. Where are you?"

"France, at the beginning of the revolution."

"Also correct. And your charge?"

One face burned crystal clear in her mind's eye. "I have him."

He studied her for a moment, then nodded. "I believe you do. Now recite the Code of the Guardian Angel."

"I shall never reveal me true being or my true mission on this Earth to anyone. I will not form attachments to any human. Above all, I shall protect my charge with all of my strength, all of my power, and all of my love. This I swear by all that is good and just."

"Excellent. You know your mission. I shall take this poor girl's body with me and see that her soul find's its way. Farewell and good luck."

There was a blinding flash of light, then her master and the girl were gone. Eponine blinked and went to begin her new life as guardian angel of Marius Pontmercy.

* * *

**A.N: Hey everybody. So this is my newest brainchild-I'm not sure how often I'll update it, that will probably depend on you. I'm going to put a poll up as to which of my three stories should receive the most attention. So go vote if you like this! Now I'm aware that this is really short, but I didn't want to start with the actual plot just yet, so whatever. It's a prologue. Get over it. Anyway, please review and vote in the poll! Thanks bunches.**

**-Forever the Optimist**


	2. The Birth of a Love

Eponine shoved her way through the masses of people that flooded the square. One of the revolutionaries was giving a speech, and Eponine knew that Marius would be there. In the time she had known him, however long it was-she lost track of human time very easily-he had told her countless times that when the fight came, he would be there. This, she knew, was the main reason she was here-to keep him safe through whatever battle may come.

As she listened to the fiery speeches, she could feel the tide of human emotions raging around her. She was glad that she didn't have to deal with that part of human life, but she secretly wondered what it would be like to have emotions and feel attachments to other beings. She knew, too, that if she remained in a human body for long enough, she would be forced to find out, whether she wanted to or not.

At last, Eponine spotted Marius through the crowd. She smiled as she saw how excited he was. As she watched, though, she saw him turn away and glance around the throng. He smiled when she caught his eye, but was almost immediately distracted by something she couldn't see. Puzzled, she shoved her way through the crowd to see what it was that had caught his attention.

When at last she reached his side, she followed his gaze and saw a girl who, she believed, would be around her age. The girl was staring right back, a shy smile on her face. Eponine gently nudged Marius and said quietly, "Who did you meet?"

He never once looked back at her. "I don't know...but I need to find out." An older man came out of the crowd and handed the girl a basket, then took her arm and gently led her away. Eponine stared in shock as the old man looked straight at her and winked. The girl looked back over her shoulder as she left, and blew Marius a small, discreet kiss. He raised a hand as if to catch it, then sighed.

All at once, everything froze. Eponine looked around and saw a man standing slightly behind her. He smiled and began to walk towards her.

"Excuse me, sir, but...do I know you?" she asked timidly.

He smiled even wider. "Have you been away so long that you don't even recognize your old tutor?"

"Master!" she gasped, mortified. He chuckled. "Please forgive me, I don't know what came over me-"

"Time spent in the human world often dulls the heavenly senses, especially when one is inhabiting a human body. The influence of humanity is strong, no one can resist it for long."

She bowed her head. "Why are you here, master?" she asked, certain she had somehow failed. He put a hand under her chin and slowly lifted her face up so she could see his eyes.

"Merely to give you a warning. Marius's romance with this girl _must _be protected at all costs. He is the reason you are here-their children will one day alter the course of France. If they somehow are prevented from being together, the consequences could be disastrous."

Eponine took a deep breath. Here was confirmation that the life she was protecting was worth her time-altering the course of an entire country! She smiled slightly, proud both of herself and of her charge. For some reason, however, something about his future felt wrong. She would have to figure out why the idea of Marius getting married bothered her so much later.

"I am also here to tell you that you may have an ally. This girl also has a protector, who is posing as her adoptive father. If you can make contact with him, he may be able to help you-to get into places and situations that aren't acceptable for young girls. However, no one can be suspicious about your relationship, so be cautious. Have I made myself clear?"

She nodded, stunned. The old man who had winked at her was an angel of her world? She had to speak to him, and soon.

"I should warn you, though, that he has lived in the human world for many, many years. The previous owner of his body died in the prison work gangs, and he has been here raising the girl ever since his time was served in completion. Consequently, he is very human- their ways are a very deeply ingrained part of him now, and he may seem a bit...odd. Be cautious."

She nodded again, fascinated and a little apprehensive. To think having spent years and years in a human body-how he was still sane, she couldn't imagine.

She bowed and said, "Thank you, master. It shall be just as you say." When at last she looked up, her master was gone and time had returned to its normal flow.

Eponine shook her head, trying to focus back on the mortal world. Marius suddenly spun around and grabbed her shoulders. She went stiff in his grip, staring at him with wide eyes. "Eponine," he said urgently, "you've got to find out where she lives. Please, do this for me. I know we've never really met, but I know that she is important somehow and I _must _see her again." He gave her a little shake, as if to get her attention. "Please, 'Ponine, won't you help me?"

She froze, surprised. She said a quick prayer of thanks for driving the couple together so quickly. For some reason, she found the idea of trying to set them up repulsive. Even now, she felt a strange reluctance to do as he asked, even knowing what was at stake. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She saw Marius's eyes widen in panic at what he perceived to be a refusal. Eponine sighed. "Yes, Marius. For you."

His relief was obvious. "You will? You mean it? Oh, 'Ponine, you don't know what this means to me!" He gave her a tight hug. She cautiously hugged him back, still unaccustomed to the human custom of physical affection. For some reason, she felt her pulse begin to race as she felt his heart beating against hers. She pulled back,slightly breathless annoyed with herself for such a human reaction.

Just then, church bells began to chime. "Oh, I'm going to be late for the meeting! Thanks again!" he shouted as he dashed down the street. Eponine watched him go, smiling fondly. With a heavy heart, she followed him. It was time to check on the progress of the Revolutionaries.

* * *

**A.N: Guten morgen, alle! Here I be with a new chapter for your enjoyment. I do hope you liked it, because I sure had fun writing it. If there is some canon dialogue in there that I missed, bummer. I only have the soundtrack to work off of, and that leaves out a lot. But,if you leave a review and tell me what I missed, I might be willing to update this bit again. Anyhow, please read and review, and, if you're enjoying reading this story, go defend it against my other stories in my poll! At least let me pretend like I matter to y'all. Thanks again!**

**-Forever the Optimist**


	3. All Is Revealed

Eponine trailed Marius all the way to La Musain, the café that was the center of the revolutionary effort. She waited until he went through the door, then slipped in behind him, careful to stay out of notice. The warmth and bustle of the café surrounded her, as well as the roiling human emotions. The tide was especially high tonight. The leader, Enjolras, was speaking again, doing his best to rouse the students into a fervor. "We need a sign!" he cried, his voice rich and passionate. "To rally the people, to call them to arms, to bring them in line!"

The café erupted in cheers and applause. The excitement beat all around her like waves beat on a ship at sea. She felt the humanity around her like a tide, threatening to pull her under. She shook herself slightly and retreated to a far corner of the café, as far away from the others as possible.

Just then, Marius's arrival was noticed. She heard various voices cry out from around the café.

"Marius, you're late!"

"What's wrong today?"

"You look as though you've seen a ghost!"

"Some wine, and say what's going on!"

A bottle was pushed into his fist, and he sat down at one of the large round tables. The others gathered around him, jeering and laughing. He smiled at them, but Eponine could tell that his thoughts had left with the girl.

"A ghost, you say?" he said dreamily. "A ghost may be. She was just like a ghost to me. One minute there, and she was gone!"

Raucous laughter broke out around the café. A man stood up in the back of the café, a bottle clutched in his fist. He was swaying a bit. 'Grantaire,' she thought. He staggered over and slapped Marius on the back. "I am agog! I am aghast!" he announced to his amused audience. "Is Marius in love at last? I've never seen him ooh and aah." He chuckled. "You talk of battles to be won," he sneered, walking over to Enjolras, "and here he comes like Don Juan. It's better than an opera!"

Eponine smiled in spite of herself. She never understood why human men had fun at the expense of others, but they all seemed to enjoy it. She slipped back out into the cool night air, knowing that this meeting would be no different from any of the others. They would talk and talk, and probably mock Marius, but in the end, nothing would have changed. Right now, she needed to find this mysterious man.

* * *

Cities are very different places late at night. It is easy to pretend that you are the only one for miles around, even though you know that in a few short hours the streets will be flooded again. The familiar sights and sounds were no longer there. It was Eponine's favorite time of day. She wasn't used to being around so many so often, and the peacefulness of night suited her well.

She slipped into the plaza where the speeches had taken place that day. It had seemed so alive then, but now it was empty, littered with pamphlets and rosettes. Wind whistled across the square, the only sound where once there was cheers and singing. It was a blissful relief to Eponine-finally, nothing was pushing on her, demanding her attention, trying to make her more human.

She shivered in the night air, and cursed. That fact that she could feel the cold at all...she had to get out of this place. If only she could hurry these revolutionaries along a bit...

Before she could pursue this thought too far, she heard a voice from across the square.

"Ah, the elusive Eponine. I thought I might find you here." She spun around, immediately putting her back against a wall, searching for the voice. It was deep and slightly ragged, as though the owner had seen the worst life had to offer and survived.

"I see living on the streets has taught you a thing or two. Tell me, how long have you been here?"

"Monsieur?" she asked uncertainly. He chuckled.

"Come now. I know you've been told of me." He stepped out into the bare light of the square and Eponine gasped. It was her mysterious stranger! "My name is Jean Valjean," he said quietly. "We need to talk."

* * *

Monsieur Valjean led her to a little villa tucked well out of the way of any main streets. "Number 55 Rue Plumet," he said softly. "Only the latest in a long line of homes." He sighed, then gestured for her to go in. She stepped through the gate and found herself in an overgrown garden, full of ferns and trellises that hid the house very nicely from outside view. Clearly, this was a man who appreciated the value of privacy-or perhaps a man who had something to hide...

He guided her to a small bench under a small willow tree. She perched on the edge of the bench, but he remained standing, staring at something only he could see. At last he spoke.

"I've been on this Earth for seventeen years. Seven of them I spent slaving in a prison work gang. It was...brutal. It only took about three years for me to start feeling it. By five, I felt everything, just like a human would. Finally, I was given parole, but I had earned the eternal enmity of Javert, one of the guards. I broke parole and stole some silver from a bishop who let me stay. I wasn't proud of it, but I knew I would need money to get to my charge. Perhaps you remember Cosette? I'm told that the two of you grew up together...?"

Eponine shook her head. "I came only a few years ago. They spoke of her often, but I didn't know _she _was the one...?"

"Yes. Well, I was caught and brought back to the bishop. He must somehow have sensed my mission, because he gave me two candlesticks as well. I still have them," he said, smiling slightly. "They remind me not to lose faith in humankind." He trailed off for a moment, clearly reliving those memories. Eponine let him reminisce for a beat, then quietly cleared her throat. He came back to himself with a start. "Forgive me. I don't often recall these things...it has been many, many years since I have told anyone my past, and there is so much more of it now."

He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, and Eponine took the moment to mull over what he had said. Seventeen years! That was almost unheard of. She was impressed that he was still sane. And to live in prison gangs...She knew that her life hadn't been the easiest, but what she had endured was nothing compared to the famed brutality of that life.

"Soon after, I used the money from selling the silver to start a factory and I was eventually made mayor of my town. Cosette's mother worked in my factory until she was fired because of some rumors, a brutal foreman, and my own apathy. It haunts me still. She was forced to leave and find work on the streets as a prostitute. When I found her, it was too late to save her. I took her to a hospital, but she died in my arms. She was calling out for her child even as she died. I swore to her that I would raise her as my own, and I have. I took her from your family and treated her as I would my own daughter. Ten years she's been mine, and now she has met this boy, this Marius...he will take her away from me, won't he?" he said softly, really looking at Eponine for the first time. Tears were running down his face.

She nodded mutely, unsure of how to handle such bare emotion from someone of her world. He sighed, a rueful smile crossing his face through his tears. "As it must be. Ah, but it will be hard to let go..." He sat down at last.

She patted him on the shoulder awkwardly. He covered her hand with his own, and suddenly she could feel all that he felt at that moment: regret for his past failings, anger at the world and at the heavens for putting such pain in the world, sorrow for the sufferings he had seen and caused, and, coursing through it all, a love so strong she was left gasping for breath from its power, so deep that is was woven into every fiber of his being: love for his daughter and charge-Cosette. She also felt his anger at Marius for threatening to take Cosette away.

Eponine jerked her hand away. It was tingling. She stared at him, in awe of what she had just felt, and found that he was staring back just as hard. He slowly shook his head, a bemused smile on his face.

"You really love him, don't you? That could be a problem."

"Monsieur? What-I don't know what you mean, I'm not...am I?" She looked up, and he could she her anguish.

"I'm afraid so, my dear." She spun away so all that he could see was her back.

"But I can't be! I'm his protector, I'm not allowed to, I...I just can't!"

"My dear Eponine," he said kindly, "when does the heart ever care what's allowed?"

She touched her face and found it wet. She stifled a gasp. "What is it?" A powerful hand took her shoulder and turned her around. She marveled at his strength, but the hand that came up to wipe away her tears was infinitely gentle.

"You've never cried before?" She shook her head. "Well, it's to be expected. I believe that the more emotion you are exposed to, the larger effect it has on you. I imagine you've been exposed to more than enough sadness in your few short years, yes?"

Eponine nodded, sniffling. He sighed. He looked as if he would say more, but he suddenly stiffened. Eponine looked around, and saw the light of a lantern bobbing towards them. She could hear a young woman's voice singing softly.

Valjean stood up, tugging Eponine to her feet as well. "There's Cosette now. You'd best be going. It wouldn't do for you to be seen here. You can find your way back, I trust?" She nodded. He shook her hand once, then was gone.

She stood there for a few minutes, shocked, still trying to take in all that had happened. Just as she was about to make her way back, she heard Valjean calling out for Cosette. She crept closer, eager to get a better picture of the girl who had so captured Marius' heart.

"Dear Cosette," Valjean was saying, "you're such a lonely child. How pensive, how sad you seem to be. Believe me, if it were in my power, I'd fill each passing hour. How quiet it must be, I can see, with only me for company."

"There's so little I know that I'm longing to know of the child that I was in a time long ago," said Cosette. It was obvious to Eponine that this was an old discussion for the pair. "There's so little you say of the life you have known, why you keep to yourself, why we're always alone. So dark, so dark and deep, the secrets that you keep."

Eponine smirked. _If only you knew, _she thought. Chuckling a bit over Valjean's predicament, she slipped out of the garden and wandered the streets of Paris, mulling over all that she had heard.

* * *

**A.N: Hello everyone! This is my longest chapter ever, in any of my stories. 2000 words on the nose! Funny how that works, isn't it? Anyway, I realize that the timing may be a little funky towards the end. I wanted Eponine to overhear Valjean and Cosette talking, but then I realized that Eponine was going to have to bring Marius soon, so I'm not sure how that's going to work yet. Leave that for the next chapter, eh? Also, if anyone can tell me what name Valjean is using at this point, that would be much appreciated. Hope you like it. Please review-help me out a bit! Much love!**_  
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	4. In My Life

_Tell or dont tell?_

Back and forth she went, just as she went around the dark streets of Paris. The streets were empty of all but here footsteps, pounding their unending path through the night. Her encounter earlier that evening had left her in little doubt of what her next move must be-go find Marius. She knew that she had found the girl destined to be his love, and yet...

_Tell or don't tell?_

And yet somehow, something in her that she didn't know existed recoiled at the very thought of bringing Marius to that secluded, romantic shook herself, trying to dislodge this unfamiliar feeling. Duty or desire?

_Tell or don't tell? Tell or don't tell? Tell or-_

"Eponine?"

_Damn._

She whirled around.

"Eponine! It is you! What are you doing out here so late?"

He stood in front of the building Eponine knew housed his apartment. She had unknowingly been winding her way here for most of the night. His clothes were rumpled, much like hers, and, judging from the smudges under his eyes, he hadn't got much sleep either. She took a deep breath.

"I found her."

She watched as his boyish face lit up like the sun, a hard lump settling into her stomach. He was instantly alert, a grin stretching from ear to ear and a spring in his step and he dashed over to her and grabbed her hands.

"You've found her? Really?"

She nodded, a smile crossing her face as well. His joy was incredibly infectious, his hands so warm in hers, and she was suddenly glad to be able to be the one to bring him the news, even if the news itself...

Her head emptied of all thought as Marius hugged her tightly and spun her around, laughing. She started to laugh, too, not caring about anything in that moment but the feeling of his arms around her. She would have been glad to freeze that moment and live in it forever, but Marius quickly broke apart, serious again. She stared into his eyes, surprised by the intensity she found there.

"Please, Eponine. Say you'll take me to her? Right now? Or is it too late, do you think? Maybe-"

"No, Marius," she said softly, though something in her was screaming to let it go, let him wait. "She's awake. I'll take you to-hey!" she cried as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Laughing, she followed him down the dark street, knowing inside that this was how it must be.

* * *

"In my life," Marius said dreamily as they ran, "she has burst like the music of angels, the light of the sun." He threw up his arms and spun around, as though unable to express his feelings any other way. "And my life seems to stop as if something is over and something is scarcely begun. Eponine," he said as he grabbed her hand and tugged her along again,"you're the friend that has brought me here. Thanks to you, I am one with the gods, and heaven is near, and I saw through a world that is new, that is free."

Puffing, Eponine let go of his hand and watched him run ahead. Softly, beginning at last to realize what strange feeling had plagued her, she whispered, "Every word that he says is a dagger in me." She leaned against a wall, breathing hard, and not just from the running.

"In my life," she said slowly, feeling truth ring in every word, "there's been no one like him anywhere...anywhere...where he is. If he asked..." she shooked her head, willing it not to be true, and knowing it was, "I'd be his. In my life...there is someone who touches my life..." she placed a hand on her chest and felt her heart beating hard. At last she understood, and the knowledge was damning. "Waiting here," she whispered, hot tears rolling down her face.

She thought back to her conversation with Monsieur Valjean.

_"You really love him, don't you?"_

She smiled ruefully. She hadn't believed him at the time, but he was more right than she could ever have imagined.

After several moments, she knew she could delay no longer and set out to find Marius. Rounding a corner, she looked up and saw that they had arrived at last at Monsieur Valjean's home. Marius was standing nervously several feet from the edge of the fence, staring at the pale face of the young woman Eponine now recognized as Cosette, who was sitting frozen on a small stone bench at the edge of the garden. Eponine quickly ducked back around the corner, knowing she shouldn't watch, that she should leave, but she found she was rooted to the spot, unable to move her feet. She closed her eyes and listened with bated breath, knowing she mustn't look, but aching to with every part of her being.

She heard footsteps, and then Marius's voice, tender, hesitant. "A heart full of love...a heart full of song..."

She listened as the two professed their undying mutual love, and as she listened she grappled with herself, trying to force herself to see reason. This was destined to be, it was no business of hers. She turned and started walking away, not caring where she went as long as she was away from them.

_He was never mine to lose, _she told herself sternly as she walked. _Why regret what cannot be? _She stiffened as she caught the sound of two voices intertwining on a gust of wind. "One single look and then I knew..."

She walked on, faster, farther, determined to escape. _These are words he'll never say, not to me._

Suddenly weak, she stopped, leaning on a wall. "Not to me..." she whispered. "Not for me." She looked back, back to where she knew Marius and Cosette were, even now, falling deeper and deeper in love. "His heart full of love...he will never feel this way."

Suddenly the full realization of what she had done, what she felt, crashed down on her like a wave of guilt and anguish. _You are not a human being. You are not to get caught up in their ways. _Her first day on Earth burst fresh into her mind.

_"Now recite the Code of the Guardian Angel."_

_"I shall never reveal me true being or my true mission on this Earth to anyone. I will not form attachments to any human. Above all, I shall protect my charge with all of my strength, all of my power, and all of my love. This I swear by all that is good and just."_

_I will not form attachments to any human._

_I will not form attachments to any human._

_I will not form attachments to any human._

The ancient Code of the Guardian Angel, gone. "What have I done?" she whispered. To break the Code...it wasn't done. Ever. The consequences...she couldn't even imagine.

_I will not form attachments to any human. _

Suddenly she was angry. Who were they, those exalted ones, who had laid down this Code, who had never been in a human body, never felt the lure of humanity tugging them from every side? Who were they to dictate how she must spend her few short hours on this planet? It was impossible to live among so many people and not form attachments.

_I will not form attachments to any human._

She understood the logic, of course. An angel who regards the humans as something different, something less, is an angel that can get the job done. Less pain. Less mess.

_I will not form attachments to any human._

But humans are not less, she realized. They are so much more. An angel cannot feel. There is no love, no joy, no pain. Her human existence had opened her eyes to a new dimension of life that she could never have dreamed possible. And all at once, Eponine found that she was not sorry. Whatever the consequences might be, and doubtless there would be, she would not trade her time here for anything. In her mind's eye, she could see the face of Monsieur Valjean, nodding approvingly. She smiled to herself.

"I am here as your guardian angel, Marius," she whispered, "but that does not mean I will not love you. I will love you with all I have to give, and more. No matter the cost. I shall protect my charge will all of my strength, all of my power, and all of my love. This I swear by all that is good and just."

* * *

**A.N: Wow. That was fun. If y'all will forgive my rudeness, I would like to say that I am ridiculously proud of this chapter, and that quite a bit of my soul went into it. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope that it changed your day somehow and made you think a bit. Now then. Am I aware that I left serveral hours where several measures should be? Yes. I'm sorry. It just wasn't going to work any other way. Please tell me what you thought of this. I'm really depending on you lovely folks to shape this thing. Please please please review! Thanks so much.**

**-Forever the Optimist**


	5. One Day More

Eponine sighed. She looked around, and realized just how far she had gone from Marius and Cosette. Doubtless, he wouldn't be able to find his way back without her help. She turned around and began walking back.

As she neared the house, she began to hear voices coming from a dark alleyway. Voices she recognized. She slipped into the shadows at the edge of the street, her grimy clothes and dark hair blending in so much as to make her nearly invisible. She slid along the dirty stone wall until she could clearly hear all that was being said.

"What do I care who you should rob? Give me my share, finish the job!"

Eponine swore under her breath. Her father's gang, and, unless she was very much mistaken, they were going to rob Monsieur Valjean's home. _Well, _she thought grimly, _not if I can help it. _Screwing up her courage, she stepped around the corner into the midst of the gang.

Her father was shouting at the man who had spoken. "You shut your mouth! Give me your hands!" He turned and saw her at last. She could see that he didn't recognize her. "What have we here? Who is this hussy?"

Eponine opened her mouth to say something, but one of the other men beat her to it. "It's your brat Eponine! Don't you know your own kid? Why's she 'anging about you?"

He turned on her with a snarl and roughly shoved her away. "Eponine, get on home, you're not needed in this, we're enough here without you!"

Resolutely, she stood her ground, knowing that the days when she let this man push her around were over. "I know this house, I tell you," she said defiantly. "There's nothing here for you! Just the old man and the girl. They lead ordinary lives-ah!"

She cried out as he shoved her against the wall of the alley. He grinned at her, his rotten breath washing over her and making her cough. "Don't interfere, you've got some gall take care, young miss, you've got a lot to say," he said, shaking her with every line, still with that maniacal smile on his face. She heard other men commenting behind his back: "She's going soft." "Happens to all." "Go home, 'Ponine, go home, you're in the way!"

She looked around, hoping desperately that Marius had somehow heard them, that he was gone. And Monsieur Valjean, and his daughter as well. Her father was ruthless, and if this girl was indeed the same girl that had lived with the family as a child...Of course, she hadn't been on Earth then, but she had heard that man rave about the incident for years. She had to do something. She was Marius's guardian angel, and, by extent, that meant that she must protect Cosette as well. She stared right back into Monsieur Thernardier's beady black eyes. She took a deep breath.

"I"m gonna scream, I'm gonna warn 'em here!" she cried. He clapped a hand across her mouth, and she tasted filth. "One little scream and you'll regret it for a year," he hissed. She began to struggle, trying to get free.

"What a palaver," sneered one of the gang, "what an absolute treat to see a cat and its father pick a bone in the street!"

"Not a sound out of you!" bellowed Monsieur Thernardier, throwing her away and spinning around, advancing on his gang. Seizing her chance, Eponine ducked away and ran to the end of the alley. She glanced over her shoulder to see the entire gang hot on her heels.

"Well, I told you I'd do it, told you I'd do it," she yelled as she ran. The instant she reached the edge of the alley, she screamed as loud as she could, praying that Marius would recognize the warning. Her scream was cut off as her father grabbed her shoulders and slapped her across the face, hard. She gasped- she felt the pain more than ever before.

"You wait, my girl, you'll rue this night." His voice was full of menace, a promise of pain such as she'd never felt. "I'll make you scream, you'll scream alright!" He shoved her away, and she ran for the house, hearing him roar instructions behind her. She rounded the corner and saw Cosette disappearing into the garden. When Marius saw Eponine, he grabbed Cosette's hand and pulled her over to Eponine.

"That was your cry, sent them away!" he cried, his relief evident on his face. He patted her cheek, and she saw Cosette shoot her a distrustful look. Marius continued, oblivious. "Once more 'Ponine, saving the day." He grabbed Cosette's hands, and instantly all Eponine could see on her face was pure adoration. "Dearest Cosette," he said, "my friend 'Ponine brought me to you, showed me the way. Somebody's near. Let's not be seen," he said urgently to Eponine. He gave Cosette a gentle shove towards the garden gate. "Somebody's here!" He grabbed Eponine's hand, and the pair dove back around the corner.

As soon as the pair was out of sight, Marius stopped, so abruptly that Eponine was jerked and almost fell. "Marius, what-" she hissed impatiently. He cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand. "Listen," he breathed, and so she did.

Footsteps. "Footsteps, Marius," she whispered impatiently. "Hurry, we'll be caught!" She tried to tug him along, but he refused to budge. "Marius," she said. "I'm going. The police will come, Inspector Javert will come. Are you coming with me?"

No response. Eponine gave an exasperated sigh and began to run, cursing under her breath about stubborn men. She had gone more than a block when she skidded to a stop. _Dear God, what have I done? _she thought. _He's my charge! I can't leave him! _And she turned around and ran back, this time cursing herself.

She returned in time to hear Valjean say "Tomorrow to Calais, and then a ship across the sea," and to see Marius turn away and start to walk over to her, looking as though he was going to his execution. Eponine took his hand and led him back to Cosette, who was standing just inside the garden, frozen. When she saw Marius, she flung herself into his waiting arms. Eponine, knowing this wasn't somewhere she belonged, yet unable to leave, stepped back until she was in the shade of a willow in the garden.

Marius cradled Cosette's head as she cried into his shoulder. "I did not live until today," he said softly into her hair. She looked up, drying her eyes, as he continued, a small, sad smile on his face. "How can I live when we are parted?"

Suddenly, whatever spell had been holding Eponine in place broke, and for the fourth time that day found herself running from Valjean's home. "One more day all on my own," she said bitterly, knowing in that moment that she was being selfish but not caring. "One more day with him not caring." She thought of him with Cosette, there in the garden, in a church, in a house with children underfoot. "What a life I might have known...but he never saw me there." Her voice broke. She walked on until she found herself in front of La Musain, where a meeting was clearly in session. Feeling that this was where she belonged, she went in.

Somehow, Marius had beaten her there. She had arrived just in time to see him pledge himself to the coming war, and knew that this was it. As she joined the revolutionaries in song, she knew that one way or another, she would not be coming back from the barricade.

_One more dawn._

_One more day._

_ONE DAY MORE._

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**A.N: That was intense. Here I am with another chapter for you. I think this must be some kind of record-I don't think I've ever published two chapters in the same week. Hopefully the quality of the writing stays the same...**

**I would just like to say that all blocking, as we say in the theater-all movement of the characters-is my own, and is not canon in any way. I have yet to see this incredible show on Broadway, or even off Broadway, so I have little to reference. But I feel that it fits and is reasonable. If you think otherwise, please tell me why! I welcome any hint of the real show-I want to keep this as canonical as possible. **

**I think that's all. So, thanks again for reading this far, and please review!**


	6. Building the Barricade

Eponine squirmed uncomfortably in the hot summer sun. The canvas cloth she had used to bind her chest so as to pass for a boy itched, and she could feel a drop of sweat running down her spine as she waited for the revolutionaries to arrive. Today was the beginning: today they built the very first barricade.

Tugging her floppy cap a little farther down over her head, Eponine shifted into a more comfortable position in the narrow doorway she had taken refuge in. _What am I doing here? _she thought to herself. _A guardian angel should be preventing wars, not fighting in them! _Not for the first time, she wished she had had a chance to consult with Monsieur Valjean, but there simply hadn't been time. She had cast _her_ lot with the revolution, for better or for worse, and that was how it would be.

Eponine bowed her head and whispered a quick prayer. "If You must take someone, let it be me. Give him his life."

Just then, she heard the thundering of many feet on cobblestone roads. At long last, they had arrived. Enjolras, of course, led the band, waving the bloodred flag for all to see. Many were carrying furniture of some kind, and one group was hauling a large wooden wagon. Eponine smiled to see them: so proud, so hopeful, flushed with zeal for their cause. As the makeshift parade passed her doorstep, Eponine slipped in to join the marching crowd.

After only a few more blocks, Eponine heard Enjolras call a halt and the wagon tipping over with a crash. Shoving her way through the growing crowd, Eponine watched the leader - her leader - nimbly vault up the side of the wagon and balance on the edge, one foot planted firmly on the slightly spinning wheel. He made a striking image, almost a silhouette against the rising cloud of dust. Raising the flag in the air, he began to speak.

"Here upon these stones we will build our barricade!" he cried, his face alight with an almost otherworldly fire. Flinging his arms out to encompass the entire street, he continued. "In the heart of the city we claim as our own." With that, Enjolras wedged the pole of the flag firmly between two spokes of the wagon wheel, looking for all the world like an explorer claiming a territory for his chosen people. _Which, in a way, he was, _thought Eponine with a small smile.

Enjolras dismissed the men to their duties and the air was suddenly filled with the crash of breaking furniture and cries of alarm from passersby. Eponine quietly slipped away, peering through the clouds of dust. She knew her duty: get to Marius.

She found him near the wagon, in conversation with Enjolras. Eponine settled down to wait. As she stood, she watched the hustle and bustle of the barricade being built. Chairs, beds, even a piano were being thrown down from the surrounding houses. Yells could be heard from those who objected to their furnishings being used to "fight for the greater good." Eponine smiled to herself. She liked the idea of this barricade: a slapdash arrangement of all sorts of things that would somehow protect many lives and possibly change the course of a nation. _Rather like the revolutionaries themselves, _Eponine thought to herself. _A slapdash of all kinds of people that can change France for the better. _

Eponine continued to muddle this over until she saw Marius clap Enjolras on the back and begin to walk away. Quickly, Eponine straightened up and ambled over to him, trying to look as much like a boy as possible. Marius quickly caught sight of her empty hands and hurried over, determined to get the barricade built as quickly as possible.

Once he was close enough, Marius called out "Hey, little boy, what's this I see?" Reaching out, he pushed her cap off of her face. Recognizing her, he shook his head in amused disbelief. "God, Eponine, the things you do."

Eponine smiled back. She couldn't help it - Marius had a talent for making her feel human. "I know this is no place for me," she said, drinking him in. It was so rare anymore for him to really be looking at her - and even now, his attention was caught by a shout from the barricade. Suddenly desperate to keep his gaze, even if only for a moment, she hastily added, "Still I would rather be with you."

She was rewarded with a quick flash of the grin she knew so well, but then came another cry, this time of warning. Marius started to return to the group, but turned back and gripped Eponine's shoulders. She could feel the warmth of his hands through her thin shirt.

"Get out before the trouble starts," he said earnestly, now staring directly into her eyes. "Get out, 'Ponine, you might get shot." His gaze made her dizzy, as if all reason and fled.

"I've got you worried, now I have," she said coquettishly, some small part of her cursing her runaway tongue. "That shows you like me quite a lot."

Marius reached out, as though to touch her cheek, then stiffened and pulled away. Eponine was astonished and overwhelmed by the wave of disappointment that washed over her. She watched him walk away, when again he turned back, a new light in his eyes. He reached out and took her hand in both of his.

"There is a way that you can help," he said softly, a looked of fevered relief on his face. "You are the answer to a prayer. Please," and here he reached into an inner pocket and pulled out a crumpled, folded piece of paper. "Take this letter to Cosette and pray to God that she's still there." Dumbfounded, Eponine stood stiff as he clapped her on the back just as he had Enjolras, then dashed away.

"Little you know..." she whispered to herself, turning the letter over and over in her hands. "Little you care." Casting one last look across the slowly rising barricade, Eponine slipped the folded paper into her waistband and slipped off into the growing darkness.

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**A.N: Hello, my dears! My most sincere apologies for the long wait between chapters. Life just has a way of interfering, you know? Anyway, I'm back, with a nice new chapter for you. I know this one didn't have a whole lot of action in it, and I'm sorry for that, but we'll get there in time. **

**I would like to ask: I think chronologically, the next bit would be Eponine's solo, and I'm really not sure how to put that into a logical story form. So, if anyone has any ideas or knows of a similar circumstance I could read, that would be very appreciated!**

**Also, thank you so much for reading! It is you, my faithful few, who really make this worthwhile for me. I love hearing your comments, and you've all been very wonderful and supportive, so thank you so much!**

**Much love to you all,**

**-Forever the Optimist**


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